New Ulm weekly review. [volume] (New Ulm, Minn.) 1878-1892, 1887-07-13


that the new stone mill up at f --=------
was in want Of re dwood bolts, and that
there was chance for men in the
work and a wet skin. So up in the
woods he went, and / only saw him
four times that winter. fs
In the early spring he came down in
company with an idea. A man three
miles above Bowlder had acres Of fine
timber which he was willing to sell on
stumpage. and there was a good de-
mand for tim Der from the mills around.
Abner's idea was to take his money
out of the bank, buy what he could Of
an outfit, and hire the rest, and 90 up
amongst the redwoods,
q / didn't like the notion at all, forI
hated to leave home and the pleasant
little town. But was ashamed to say
anything of that kind before mother,
who had come clear across the country
to be with her husband. And as
mother thought Abner's idea was a
good one, packed up and went of
with him.
MI. Jones, the owner of the land,
had the house already built when we
got there Such a barn-like looking
place as it was, made of unplaned and
implanted redboards set on end, with
cleats nailed over the cracks. There
We're three rooms in it, and not sign
Of paint, paper, whitewash or mortar,
and it stood in the center of a small
clearing" a little back from the road
on the side Of little mountain. There
was an open stable and two sheds in
the same clearing, but besides these
there was not sign Of a human being
anywhere in sight.
.It's kind Of hard looking, lust at
first, Jennie says Abner, squeezing
my arm as he helped me down from
the load, shut keep up a good heart,
lass, any we'll come out all right some
day. There's money in the old red
woods, though they amt cheerful to
look at And so we began our house.
keeping.
How lonesome I was those DAYS! /
was kept pretty busy, for Abner had
two men to help him, and I had to cook.
for the lot. sTwasn't like keeping
boarders in the East, though, for I had
no care OF the men excepting at meal
times. After supper was over they
would go out into the yard and smoke
and tell stories until they got tired
and then they would take their blank
cts and sleep on the straw in one of
the sheds, or out on the ground under
the treesjust as the notion took them.
How | used to long for mother and
Annie in those days when I was sitting,
sole alone, peeling potatoes or apples,
OF doing something of the kind, with
nothing but the distant chop, chop, of
the axes, the sleepy draWl Of the big
saws, and occasionally the rattle and
crash OF tall redwood tree as it came
tearing down to the ground, to keep
me company.
At first, was nervous and frighten-
ed, and thought every man that came
dragging along the road meant to nlur-
der me. One whole half day, remem-
Der, l spent under the bed with the
door bolted, because a ..bull -puncher''
from above came along pretty well
loaded with Whiskey, and took a no.
ton to sleep il off close up to our gate,
and when the men came home to din
ner there Wasn'ta mite cooked, not
even the breakfast dishes washed.
I got Drawer after that, though, for
they laughed at me so much, mot Alb
ner, but the others), that I was fairly
ashamed out of it. But though I got
over my fear, did not get over nv
dislike for the place nor the life / was
leading. Mother managed to get up
to see me, and she gave me lots Of
good advice and tried to make me feel
more content, but didn't, and when |
got a big boil on my hand and couldn't
work, was glad as glad could be, for
1t gave me a chance to go home
for a week, while Annie went up and
kept house for the men. B
Annie, she Just enjoyed it UP there.
She feel in love with the dogs and the
horses and the COW and the calf, and
thought the mountains all around,
with the big redwood trees on them
were something wonderful; and she
would take her sewing out and sit down
and watch the bolts 60 swimming down
the ffume, just across the road on the
edge Of the ravine, as pleasant and in
terested as child.
My boil got well altogether too quick
for me; for it seemed to me that /
could spend the rest of my life walking
along the dear old beach with the smell
Of the salt water in my nose, and moth
ing to look at but the great heaving
stretch Of blue waters. The love Of
the sea was born in me, think, and
felt very cross and dissatisfied when
the time came for me go back to the
hateful redWoods again. But e was
ashamed Of myself when | saw the
look on Abner's face when he came
into the kitchen and found me frying
the potatoes, with my big apron on, as
natural as life.
After that / tried to be little more
peaceable and contented. Iloved Alb
ner, and, indeed, I must have been
worse than a Hottentot, if I hadn't. he
was that good and patient trying to
help me all he could, and make things
pleasant, and working like adog, look
ing after the cutting and saving and
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